Wesley Snipes Seeking a New Trial on Tax Fraud Prison Sentence

Actor Wesley Snipes is fighting for a new trial in his tax evasion conviction. This new fight began after Kenneth Starr, Snipes' old financial advisor, was charged with securities fraud after allegedly stealing $59 million from celebrity clients.

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Black Oscar Winners Through The Years

Black Oscar Winners Through The Years
Maybe it's the sign of the times, but in recent years, more and more African Americans have nabbed Academy Awards in honor of their accomplishments to the motion picture industry. From film scoring, production, direction and acting, African Americans have touched many . facets of the film genre. In celebration of the 81st annual Academy Awards, Black Voices takes a look at the winners – through the years.

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Black Oscar Winners Through The Years

Hattie McDaniel
She was the first African American to be nominated for, and win, an Academy Award. For her role in the 1939 epic saga 'Gone With the Wind,' the Kansas native took home the prize for best actress in a supporting role. With her win, she met some criticism for playing a stereotypical black character, but McDaniel caused a stir when she told members of the media that she would rather "play a maid than be one!"

Black Oscar Winners Through The Years

Sydney Poitier
He was the first African American to win an Academy Award for best actor in a leading role. His Oscar win for the 1963 drama 'Lilies of the Field' proved that this Bahamian-American thespian was a real box office draw. Four years later, with 'To Sir, With Love,' 'In the Heat of the Night' and 'Guess Who's Coming to Dinner,' the latter being one of the first movies to positively tackle the complexities of interracial relationships, Poitier became the year's top box office star. In 2002, the 83-year-old was also awarded an honorary Oscar.

Black Oscar Winners Through The Years

Isaac Hayes
Hayes became the first African American to win for best original song and the first African American to win an Oscar in a non-acting category. The theme to the blaxploitation film 'Shaft,' appropriately titled 'Theme from Shaft,' earned this soul singer an Academy Award in 1971. The track, which was written and performed by the late Memphis native, rose to the top of the Billboard charts months after the movie's release. Hayes got to perform the song at the Academy Award ceremony in 1972 and dedicated the win to his grandmother, who joined him on stage to accept the award.

Black Oscar Winners Through The Years

Quincy Jones
He is the first African American nominated for best picture, the first African American to be named musical director/conductor of the Academy Awards ceremony (in 1971), and the first African American to win the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. Jones, who has long been known for his talent in the music business, made Academy Award history for his role as a producer on the feature film 'The Color Purple.' The 27-time Grammy Award winner is tied with sound designer Willie D. Burton as the most Oscar-nominated African American with seven nominations.

Black Oscar Winners Through The Years

Louis Gossett Jr.
He was the first African American actor to win for best supporting actor. The Brooklyn, N.Y., native, who had no formal drama training, took home an Oscar for his characterization of Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley in the 1982 film 'An Officer and a Gentleman.' Unfortunately, the he did not find Hollywood calling for major motion pictures, something he lamented about publicly. "If I were white, I'd be as rich as Harrison Ford," he told BV.

Black Oscar Winners Through The Years

Irene Cara
She was the first and only African American woman to win a non-acting Academy Award. Cara, who penned the lyrics to 'Flashdance (What a Feeling)' -- while in a cab on the way to the studio to record the song -- took home her Oscar in 1984. The New York native performed the song and later released it as a single. She is also known for creating the Academy Award-nominated theme to the 1980 film 'Fame,' which she performed at the awards ceremony.

Black Oscar Winners Through The Years

Stevie Wonder
Wonder's 'I Just Called to Say I Love You,' remains one of the Michigan native's most commercially successful singles. The track was featured in the 1984 Gene Wilder-directed comedy 'The Woman in Red' and won for best original song in 1984. The soundtrack also featured Dionne Warwick.

Black Oscar Winners Through The Years

Prince
Was the first and only African American to win for best original song score. After his 1984 Oscar win, the category was retired, but Prince's seminal album, 'Purple Rain,' made the Minnesota native a household name. The soundtrack album spent 24 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. At one point the pint-sized music icon, who starred in the film, had the No. 1 movie, single and album in America.

Black Oscar Winners Through The Years

Lionel Richie
Was a winner for best original song for 'Say You, Say Me.' Richie wrote and performed the song, which appeared in the 1985 film 'White Nights.' Most fans of the Alabama native felt that he should have taken home an Oscar a few years earlier in 1981 for his breakout duet with Diana Ross in 'Endless Love.' That track became one of Motown's biggest hits and helped to launch Richie's solo career. He was also nominated in 1985 for a best song Academy Award for 'Miss Celie's Blues,' a song he co-wrote with Quincy Jones and Rod Temperton for 'The Color Purple.'

Black Oscar Winners Through The Years

Snipes and his attorneys are arguing that Starr's charge in May justifies their request to throw out the original conviction. Starr is accused of defrauding other celebrity clients, including Sylvester Stallone. Starr was also one of the key witnesses in the trial that sent Snipes to prison. Snipes was convicted and sentenced to prison in 2008 on tax fraud charges.

I was surprised to see this happen to Wesley, but he isn't the only celebrity in recent years to have serious financial trouble. Even the great Nicolas Cage sued his business manager for $20 million after it was discovered that he owed $6 million to the IRS. Cage is also known to spend lavishly, owning several mansions and even a castle. At the same time, when you trust a business manager to do your taxes, apparently you never know what you are getting into. Perhaps Snipes truly didn't know that Starr was managing his affairs so poorly, and the "tax evasion" was no evasion at all. The time and the courts will tell.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and the author of the new book, "Black American Money." To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.